The winner is surely the corrupt Georgian government which got its $1 billion pay off from the US this week (how much will go to rebuilding?) - nobody else wins, except the US which has got the new enemy it desires for the election (Putin might well not be speaking rubbish on that). But surely The Economist could be less naive in its analysis - this is reality and corrupt politics.

How ironic. We paint Euros as weak and vacillating, yet America is still unwilling to punish the Saudis for their part in 9/11.This was all predicted when the oil pipeline across Georgia was still in the planning stage.When the Russians were mucking around in our lake(Gulf of Mexico)back in '62 and the mid 80s, we let them know that they weren't wanted. Now, the shoe is on the other foot.

I am mystified that you still fail to grasp the most basic issue regarding EU-Russia relations, that being the unyielding support of the EU, and NATO, to American military ambitions in former Soviet countries. Russia neither "enjoys fomenting bother" nor seeks to repatriate former Soviet lands; conversely it does not enjoy being bothered by American efforts to militarize countries, with American weapons, on Russia's borders.It should have been enough to take Poland, the Baltics, Czechoslavakia and others into the EU. They should not have been made part of NATO and then been used by the Americans to threaten Russia by placing missiles on their doorstep. While Europe tells Russia they seek to be partners, the Americans work to demonstrate Russia should not be trusted and then provoke them into acts that verify the claim. That Russia would finally have enough of this charade should not have come as a surprise. This is a time of relative peace. The Soviet Union is no more, China and Russia are striving to be part of the international community and the world's compelling issues require sustained teamwork among ALL major powers. Today's consequential wars were and are inspired, led and driven by the US; barriers to peace, in Palestine, Lebanon and indeed, the entire Middle East, continue as a result of American policy. Now is the time for Europe to reevaluate its existing relationship with the US and strive for a more independent and balanced approach to the world, east and west.

Most comments and views by your esteemed magazine and commentators are valid. Russia is more clever than Europe and needs pay nothing.But in the fewest possible words, the Georgian incident potentially signifies the American hand over/sell out of Europe to Russia for the sake of China, the Pacific and debts. How on earth did any NATO general dream of defending anybody from Russia or even installing kiddy stuff missiles next to with RUSSIAN OIL???We all and the Russians know well the German total surrender and sell out to Russia when their ex chancellor is working from plush offices in Moscow at millions of Euros salary for Russian energy interests and had financed the pipeline with 1 billion of our European money one month before he left office and had lost the elections. Whom are they kidding??We won the cold war but now lost Europe with its "exactly as your brilliant cartoon shows" so called marionettes leaders who waste our money.He who dares wins. Brussels lost, big way. End of story.

It's just unbelivable to me how US is twisting the perception of this situation, how they switch around agressors and victims...
But the sad thing is that Russia is willing to work as partners with the West and USA, and American government isn't willing to accept Russia as an equal political/economic partner. It is convenient for Pentagon to have an enemy, an "evil empire", in order to deploy their war machine. It isn't Russia who is bringing the new cold war, it is America that's provoking the new arms race.

"Russia enjoys fomenting bother." Hardly a responsible comment, and not worthy of a journal that prides itself on objective analysis. Where is the evidence for that statement?Dick Cheney's current visit to Georgia really makes plain this is a conflict over resources. The US is treating Georgia as its client state. Accordingly it ill behoves either side in the dispute to claim the moral high ground.Britain and the United States need to turn the emotional rhetoric several notches down. Saakashvili certainly needs to desist from his stupid talk of "brutal invasion" and "dirty aggression", not to mention his provocative use of the European Union flag.The prospect of a major conflict between Russia and the West is truly horrible. The risk of one happening is no longer totally negligible. In that context the European Union's move towards a moderate but clear common position appears prudent and realistic. Certainly no-one should be making threats they haven't carefully evaluated and which they aren't fully prepared to carry out.

The comment censures governments, which "like Germany’s prefer to cut separate deals with Russia" on oil and gas. I suppose this holds also for the British government, whose minister of energy on 26 June 2003 signed with his Russian counterpart at Lancaster House a "Memorandum of Understanding" on the Baltic gas pipeline, a stab in Poland's back. The words of Tony Blair, who together with president Vladimir Putin blessed the signing ceremony with his presence and said that the pipeline was of strategic significance to Britain, are still ringing in my ears. Some chickens, some necks?

listen, economist, only baltic states were happy with the collapse of the soviet union. it was actually dreamed up by drunk leaders of russia, ukraine and belarus. central asian countries, as well as the rest (georgia included) were not happy at all. stop your lies. evil empire? west is the root of evil. stealing continents and decimating native populations. shame on you and damn you

I feel that economist portrays things as black (russia) and white (west) forgetting that what's going on right now is struggle for resources and a very natural game of whoever got the upper hand.Since Russia has natural resources it feel that it can pursue its interests based on it, same as West wouldn't have had problems to do the same as it successfully did based on its economic wealth and power.So, it's all normal.

No doubt Russia shook the US hopes of being the Unipolar leader and showed the axes of power is multipolar.Russia has defintely won this crushing victory and showed the EU which comprises of 27 countries(5 powerful countries) couldnt even impose a single sanction as they are too dependent on their oil and gas.Even if NATO leader US commands to impose they cant as they have seen how US stayed afar during the Russian onslaught of Georgia.US ships even dodged confronting Russia ships in Poti to avoid military conflict which is not good for any country.I think its high time EU asks Saakashvilli to quit his Georgian President post for humiliating their EU and NATO bloc and putting them to acid test.Its finally US which had to pledge 1 Billion dollars from their cash strapped economy reserve to rebuild Georgia.I feel the best solution would be for Georgian president to step down so that Russian peacekeepers can give back Poti and return to the newly created separatist regions.It looks unlikely Russia withdrawing from tow regions after they have been recognised and having won the support of their presidents.And all the talk of 'no unusual business' is just laughable as it clearly doesnt specify what kind of business fits in that category.Russia bear has been provoked by the US trying to build a fence around its territory and installing sheilds and missile defences.Russia too has taken a lot of beating by its plunging stocks but it will soon recover as it has 50 years of oil and gas to support its economy.The whole saga is finally leading to thousands of civillians who have been killed or displaced by the Saakashvilli regime which cant be got back by the aid he gets.And the development of multipolar world and shaming of EU union.Of course the Russians will pay dearly but not for long!!